Wolfe Island, Ontario - the largest of the thousand islands - is one of Canada’s most cherished natural spaces. Sitting at the end of Lake Ontario and the start of the St. Lawrence river the Island marks both the entry and exit points for all five Great Lakes.

Wolfe Island is where Waterkeeper’s vision for a swimmable, drinkable, fishable Lake Ontario began. Even before 2001 when Lake Ontario Waterkeeper officially came to be, I was there fighting to protect the natural landscape and ensuring the public’s access to clean water.

As Waterkeeper has grown - so have our programs which are designed to connect people to their local waters. Our presence now extends beyond Wolfe Island and Lake Ontario. We see our impact throughout the country as more and more people stand up for their right to swimmable, drinkable, fishable water. At Waterkeeper, we never forget that this movement started on the shores of Wolfe Island.

We have 16 years of history fighting for environmental protection, empowering individuals to restore their natural waterways, and bearing witness to the strength and commitment of the community.

We’re proud of our history, which is why I’m excited to announce - in celebration of the place where it started and the people who made it happen, and with the support of Ontario150, that Lake Ontario Waterkeeper will host the first Wolfe Island Culture Festival: a seven week celebration of Wolfe Island and the Great Lakes through story and song.

At Waterkeeper, we know that the arts and culture, and the environment are linked. As long as we’ve been fighting to protect the water - we’ve had the support of artists: painters, musicians, and story-teller’s. This makes sense since it’s an artist’s job to observe and reflect on the state of their community and their planet. Waterkeeper supporters include many Canadian cultural icons who have proved that it’s the artist’s that are the first to stand up for clean water.

The 7 weeks between June 23rd - August 12th will inspire locals and visitors alike to foster new connections with water and to commit to a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future; not just from the shores of Lake Ontario on Wolfe Island and Kingston - but throughout country - ensuring a clean-water future for Canada.

The Kingston & Wolfe Island Culture Festival runs from June 23 - August 12. Events will be held on Wolfe Island and in the Greater Kingston area to inspire guests to foster new connections with water. Full festival programming will be announced on Friday June 23rd at the festival launch. For more information visit www.waterkeeper.ca